The Scriabine reaction consists of the reaction between an aromatic compound and an enal or the corresponding acylal (see I. Scriabine in Bull. Soc. Chem. Fr., 1961, 1194). This reaction provides an access to the formation of dihydrocinnamic aldehyde derivatives. To the best of our knowledge, all the methods and examples reported in the literature concerning this reaction are at least steochiometric in an Al salt or in TiCl4. For instance one may cite Aguillar et al. in Synthetic Comm. 2004, 2719.
It is therefore highly desirable to access such dihydrocinnamic aldehyde derivatives by using a catalyzed reaction, and, if possible, catalysts which are more environmentally friendly.